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Featured, Mohawk Girls

Mohawk Girls: Traitor

In this, the penultimate episode of Season 4 of Mohawk Girls, the theme of the week was betrayal.  If you are keeping up with things, you know that all four of our ladies were about to betray or be betrayed! So let’s get started.

Traitor No. 1 was Caitlin (Heather White). Butterhead (Meegwun Fairbrother) turned the heat up another notch in his attempt to win back Caitlin with a candle-lit bubble bath and a bouquet of flowers; 50 per cent off flowers, but flowers nonetheless. Just in time too because, due to her drop in clientele, Caitlin was fired from the beauty salon. She was beginning to question whether dating Leon was really worth all of the trouble that relationship is creating in her life. To top things off, Leon insisted she meet his mother the very day she was fired. Can you say culture shock? Not only did Caitlin meet Leon’s mother, Nadash (Yardly Cavanaugh), but she felt ambushed; his entire family was also there. Someone’s resolve is faltering! But really? How could anyone hurt Luscious Leon? I call this a weak traitor, since at this point, Caitlin is only contemplating returning to Butterhead.

Traitor No. 2 would be Zoe, who finally began to accept she might actually have an addiction to sex … but the fun still outweighs the harm this addiction is causing in her life. Despite developing real feelings for Ohserase (Shawn Youngchief), she made alternate plans with her new dom Henry (Marc Trottier). This time her dalliance required that she bind herself but in her haste Zoe fell.  Afraid for her well-being, Henry called for the paramedics, who arrived to find her in that compromising position. Word quickly spread and Ohserase, initially, came to Zoe’s defence. But, as things became uncovered, he revealed “uptight” Zoe has a side no one dared to imagine! Can Zohserase survive this kind of betrayal?

Traitors No. 3 and 4 were Anna (Maika Harper) and Butterhead. After running into Thunder (Kyle Nobess), Anna misread his courtesy as interest, until she realized he had moved on with new girlfriend Claire (Brooke Debassige). In her grief, Anna turned to Butterhead. Both drunk at a party—you guessed it—they fell into bed together. The next morning, Anna immediately ran to Caitlin to apologize but instead was greeted with Zoe’s debacle. Before she could tell Caitlin, Iostha (Allyson Pratt) spilled the beans. Caitlin lost it, and Iostha piped up, “Why do you give a shit? You are always saying how awesome your new boyfriend is!” That IS a valid question! But still, BFF’s don’t mess with an ex! AND WHY is Butterhead hooking up with Anna when he wants Caitlin back? Seems Blockheaded Butterhead has not learned a THING!

And that left us with Traitor No. 5: Bailey (Jenny Pudavick) who came to the sudden realization that when she marries Watio (Jimmy Blais), he will be the  only man, potentially, for the rest of her life. That realization came as a complete surprise. Suddenly, all of Watio’s habits were annoying and, on a whim, she ran to hang out with James (Jeffrey Wetsch). The sparks that have been trying to ignite blasted off and WHOA! Yep, these two hooked up; on the floor of the studio no less.

Alright everyone, next week is the final episode. We know Bailey has invited James to the PowWow. Team Cailon, Team Zohserase and Team Batio are all being threatened. How do you think creators Tracey Deer and Cynthia Knight plan to end the season? Let me know in the comments below!

Mohawk Girls can be seen Tuesdays at 9:30 p.m. ET on APTN.

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Featured, Mohawk Girls

Things get Under’hand’ed in Mohawk Girls!

This week’s episode of Mohawk Girls is jam-packed, so I apologize now for the length of this recap. However,  whilst depicting a celebration this episode actually deals with a very serious and ongoing contentious issue. So, first a bit of background before we get to the “meat” of it (sorry, I couldn’t resist).

The title of this week’s episode “Marry Out Get Out” refers to a  band policy that still exists in Kahnawa:ke. In short, since 2010 if a band member of Kahnawa:ke marries someone who is non-Indigenous, they face eviction. The motivation behind this policy is to ensure that the Mohawk bloodline does not die out and it also prevents the non-Indigenous from taking advantage of tax exemptions afforded to those of Indigenous heritage. This summer, this issue gained public notice in the news, coinciding with the filming of this current season. Members of the community are understandably divided on this issue, since as we all know, sometimes you cannot help who you fall in love with, as is/has been the case with our fab four.

With all of that in mind, we begin this week with Watio (Jimmy Blais) and  Bailey (Jenny Pudavick) clashing heads once again. Both of them are feeling pressured to be people that they aren’t. Compromises seem to require  more and more work for these two.  Bailey did manage to snag a good Mohawk man but, she is still second guessing herself. Is she compromising a happy future, just to ensure she marries Mohawk?

The Marry Out Get Out policy also overshadows the scenes featuring Caitlin (Heather White) and Leon (Dwain Murphy). Team Cailon go shopping for an engagement gift for Bailey and Watio, but conversation quickly revisits the argument Caitlin had last week with her father (Lawrence Bayne). She explains the pressures she is facing culturally and socially because they are a mixed-race couple. Leon completely gets it and we can cue the adorable #Cailon moments again. Seriously, who finds a guy as amazing as Leon?

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Heather White and Dwain Murphy run lines in prep for their next scene
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Caitlin (Heather) and Leon (Dwain) purchase an engagement gift for Bailey and Watio

The heartbreak this policy causes is showcased with Anna’s (Maika Harper) scenes. She attends the eviction protest in support of those in favour of the Marry Out Get Out contingent. (Did everyone catch that the protest was at co-creator/co-director Tracey Deer’s “house”?). But her heart is clearly not in it. Her own parents faced this same dilemma which has led to Anna not fully fitting in in Kahnawa:ke.

Now we know Mohawk Girls can’t be entirely serious when we have the physical comic talents of Brittany LeBorgne playing Zoe.  Tonight, Zoe has clearly fallen off her sex addiction wagon. The threat of losing the thrill that dom Henry (Marc Trottier) provides proves too much to bear. Zoe scrambles for forgiveness but now she is more tightly bound—heh get it? bound—to Henry. Anyway, Henry issues his order and despite its interference with her campaigning,  Zoe follows through. LOL Brittany hun! That is a big standing “O” for the bar scene with Ohserase (Shawn Youngchief). You two went for it and delivered!

Finally, all of our ladies show up at the engagement party and life  for Caitlin gets even more complicated. Butterhead (Meegwun Fairbrother) turns up his interest a notch, and even steals a kiss from unsuspecting Caitlin. Talk about confusing! And we get a great scene with Sose (Glenn Gould); I wish we had more Sose this season! He is one of my fave characters! He lets Anna know how disappointed he is in her and she leaves in tears. Is this finally the sense that Anna needs?

OK everyone, we only have two episodes left! What do you think is in store for us? Are Bailey and Watio actually going to get married? Will Zoe get elected chief? And what the heck is Caitlin going to do about Butterhead and Leon? Let me know in the comments below!

Mohawk Girls can be seen Tuesdays at 9:30 p.m. ET on APTN. If you happen to miss the episode you can catch up here.

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Featured, Reality, Lifestyle & Documentary

Wild Archaeology season finale: Inuit of Rigolet, Part 2

On this, the final episode of Season 1 of Wild Archaeology, we return to Double Mer site in Rigolet, Nfld. This last locale is referred to as a historical site as it contains artifacts from only the last few hundred years.

First, we visit the lab situated within The Net Loft town museum. It is here that Dr. Lisa Rankin and her team clean, preserve and catalogue each day’s various finds. Because the lab is located in the museum, anyone from the town is able to wander in and see what the archaeologists have recently unearthed. Lisa explains some of the more interesting artifacts include several that illustrate the meshing of European and Inuit cultures.

Dr. Rudy explains this site, in particular, was ideal for their final adventure because it helps to illustrate how archaeologists interpret artifacts as they view them in concert with other finds. A picture unfolds when viewing the artifacts as a larger canvas rather than separate and isolated items. It is when viewed in this context that we are able to understand how the people at this particular location once lived.

Then we return to the dig site, and Jacob first finds an iron nail used in the construction of the sod-covered homes. Later, he finds exactly what he was hoping to: an iron knife blade that was manufactured in Europe and would have been traded for. Later, Jenifer finds a gun-flint that was also manufactured in Europe.

We also get a flavour for the local  fauna. Jacob and Jenifer have the opportunity to try raw sea urchin. Something tells me that Jacob will not have sea urchin on his “must have again” list.

As a final farewell to Season 1, Jenifer  and Jacob share their bittersweet thoughts about their experiences and all that they have learned throughout their journeys as they explored Indigenous cultures across Canada.

Thank you to Dr. Rudy, Jacob, Jenifer, and all of the crew behind Wild Archaeology. I have thoroughly enjoyed watching and learning from your experiences. Now, all of you go get busy and make Season 2!

You can return and stream season one of Wild Archaeology here at  APTN.

If you are curious to learn more about Double Mer, you can listen to this CBC radio segment from Labrador Morning that aired on August 21, 2014.

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Featured, Reality, Lifestyle & Documentary

An interview with Jenifer Brousseau of Wild Archaeology

I recently caught up with Jenifer Brousseau, co-host of APTN’s Wild Archaeology, and we had a quick chat about her time on the show. Jenifer shared some funny behind-the-scenes stories and also talked about how this remarkable experience continues to shape her life today.

What was the most challenging aspect of this show for you, and what was the reward?
Jenifer Brousseau: Everything from a technical aspect was challenging because we visited remote areas from coast to coast to coast. Every terrain we trekked on was always a challenge. From climbing mountains up the Squamish, B.C., in the very first episode to trekking on the tundra at Richards Island, NWT. The tundra was really difficult because you cannot go fast. It is bumpy like moguls on a ski hill so you have to walk carefully or you will break your ankle. But each of those challenges was a part of the beauty in it; being able to do these physical challenges. But at the end, it was like Christmas because you would go somewhere and you find these amazing artifacts and you think that trek was just so worth it.

Can you tell me one of your funniest memories that viewers did not get to see?
That would have to be the time a bottle washed up on shore when we were at Calvert Island, B.C. It was the mystery of the finger in the bottle, or what was rumoured to be a finger. The freaked out the archaeology students who found it while having a fire on a beach.  Rumours spread quickly throughout camp and we thought this might be one wild episode gone sideways. Everyone discussing the story behind this finger. Dr. Farid Rahemtulla of the Hakai Institute was finally found, and examined the finger only to discover that the finger was actually just a parsnip.

Now that some time has passed since filming ended more than a year ago, what for you is the most memorable experience?
Going to the Pacific West Coast and experiencing the beauty that we saw there was incredible, and then going to the old long house and being on sacred ground there was a highlight. But one thing that really stood out for me was the day we went to Head-Smashed-In, AB, and we sat in the teepee with Reg Crowshoe. You only see a portion of it in the show, but we sat in that teepee with him for most of the day. I remember at the end of the day, going out for dinner and not feeling hungry because I had sat listening to Reg Crowshoe all day long and I was full. I think when you sit with an elder and you hear the richness of these stories it is like being fed a big steak dinner, but for your soul.

Having had this opportunity to participate in Wild Archaeology, what are you personally taking forward?
I have worked in our communities for many years with youth and young people doing workshops, but I have always been on my own journey of my own reclamation. I grew up with a sense of identity crisis, not knowing who I am, not feeling comfortable in my own skin. I didn’t understand our history and growing up I didn’t feel that I knew much.  And while I have been on this journey on Wild Archaeology, I still had my work in my communities. So this has been a journey of my own reclamation.

One of the major things outside of Wild Archaeology, I am also artistic director of Imagi’Nation Collective, which offers youth mentoring, suicide prevention and life promotion workshops. And I think a lot of what this show has done for me has been really magical for me  because I can use this reclamation that I have had in going on this journey and learning all that I have learned about my history. The history of First Nations people, the history of my ancestors has been this beautiful tapestry that has unfolded before me.

Just recognizing the beauty of where I come from  and the strength that I come from, the resilience that I come from, the creativity that I come from  are all amazing things. As I share in the work that I do promoting life and suicide prevention, these are things that I can impart. I toured with a production of a play that I wrote seven years ago called ‘Beneath the Surface,’ and I think that there is a real irony in that what I do as a host on Wild Archaeology because as I dig beneath the surface but in this play, I talk about our stories and traumas and our healing. Now on Wild Archaeology I talk about our resilience and our strength and my own personal reclamation. It is a really beautiful tie-in for who I am what I do and what I can share with Indigenous and non-Indigenous Canada.

Any closing thoughts for young viewers out there?
I think in doing this project I had to have my eyes wide open and I think I would recommend: have your eyes wide open to learn our stories because that is where our foundation is. Knowledge is power and I have said this on the show: ‘When  you know the truth of who you are and where you have come from then you know the truth of where you are going and you can walk in that strength and understanding that you are the the result of the love of thousands and that is what our ancestors say to us.’

My thanks go out to Jenifer for taking the time to share her story with us at TV, Eh? I personally learned a lot as I listened to her story and her remarkable adventures on Wild Archaeology.

The final episode of Wild Archaeology can be seen Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. ET on APTN.

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Featured, Reality, Lifestyle & Documentary

Wild Archaeology: Inuit of Rigolet, Part 1

Nope, Jenifer and Jacob are NOT AT ALL COMPETITIVE! We begin the penultimate episode of Wild Archaeology finishing up at the site in Sheshatshui.

SNAP! Jacob a.k.a. “artifact magnet” found a bi-face and then SNAP!, moments later, Jenifer found aher own bi-face in the exact same quadrant. We learn that Jacob’s Groswater and Dorset paleo Eskimo end blade is not native to the area of their dig and therefore  indicates an interaction between Inuit and Innu communities of Labrador happening at this site. Meanwhile, Jenifer’s is a locally crafted little red quartzite knife blade.

Then we head off to Rigolet to meet up with Dr. Lisa Rankin at Double Mer, an 18th-century Inuit site in Labrador demarked with semi-subterranean sod huts. What is unique to this site is it is a location that was a traditional meeting ground in the summer months for various ethnic groups. This site is also our first glimpse at post-European contact artifacts making an appearance with nails ideal for building the superstructure of the sod homes.

And, true to form, Jacob finds the first artifact, a piece of leather that has markings to indicate it had been sewn. Jenifer comes across a couple of decorated beads in her quadrant the likes of which had not been found previously.

We are down to the final episode next week, with Part 2 of Inuit of Rigolet. This has been such a fun adventure, I hate to see it end.

Wild Archaeology airs Tuesdays at 7:30 p.m. ET on APTN.

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